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Force of habit had me meeting everyone’s eyes as they sat.
In the seat closest to my left was Kosas Sideris, leader of the North American sect of the Greek mob. Inherited his position at forty-five when his father died of old age. Assassinations were their main game, and they did them well. Some of the best mercenaries I’d come across had personally trained with Kosas, who looked thirty at best and still in prime fighting condition. The Greek also did minor drug smuggling, like weed, but their priority was blood and bodies.
Next to him was Haru Kimura, leader of Seattle’s own branch of the Yakuza. At twenty-one, he was the youngest head in the room, though he’d already held his position for three years after a devastating massacre wiped out nearly everyone in his family. Born and raised in the States, he’d decided to create a foothold here rather than return to Japan alone. Despite how far he had to go to build the organization he wanted, he’d survived every assassin sent his way with ease. Unlike his forefathers, Haru focused on protection and extortion in his territories, along with traditional means of wealth, like real estate.
Ajilon Mousa, Northwest head of the Lebanese mafia, took the seat directly to my right. He’d married into his position via his late wife, the only daughter of the former leader. They’d been a surprising love match and one of the better ones, from what I’d seen. Though they’d originally been heavy in the skin trade, they’d pivoted to racketeering and small-time weapons trafficking since I’d outlawed it. Last we’d talked, he was training his son to take over, but with no real timeline for the transition. Ajilon was the closest thing to a friend I had in the other leaders. But the Lebanese didn’t have a heavy presence in the States, so he mainly acted as a mouthpiece for his brother-in-law back home. Still, I enjoyed his company and the dry wit he kept hidden.
Farther down was Two-Bit. He was a local gang leader relatively new to the position but making decent strides to get the Vipers profitable and under the radar again. They were the main drug distributors in the city, though they followed my rules and stuck to weed and the occasional party drug.
Finally, at the other end of the table was Sean O’Bannon. Head of the Irish, in power since he was thirty, with no sign of giving it up anytime soon. Three sons all vying to take over his throne and a daughter he was desperate to sell off. Biggest weapons trafficker in North America and a serious firebug who looked far too smug for what I preferred.
Everyone was accounted for, and with my father’s ties to the Cosa Nostra in Sicily, we had most of the world’s criminal networks covered. Which was exactly what we needed to get rid of Cash before he dug any further into Seattle.
Folding my hands together, I nodded to Tennessee, who left the room and locked the door behind him. The entire building had been cleared out and security upped for the meeting, but bodyguards weren’t permitted to stay. Part of proving I was fit enough to lead was proving I could protect us all when we got together. More fucking politics.
“I appreciate your taking time out of your schedules to come today. You’ll be reimbursed, of course.”
“A call from our little queen’s new lapdog was certainly not what I expected on a Sunday.” The pointed look Sean threw at Dominic was nearly enough to make me laugh. I wondered if he realized the irony, considering his first conversation with Greyson after returning home.
Though I knew it was killing him not to respond, Dominic said nothing, and I ignored the comment, just like I ignored how patronizing little queen was. Picking my battles was the name of the game, and if letting it slide would give me some grace later, so be it.
“We’re all busy, so I’ll get to the point. An ongoing nuisance has recently turned into more of an issue than I’d hoped. I’m requesting your assistance to get rid of them.”
“The Aces,” Kosas guessed.
“Correct.” I nodded to Greyson, and pictures of Cash from the security footage of opening night filled the projection screen nearby. “Their leader, Cash Beckstrom, and I had a run-in at Gilded. His men pulled their guns on me and other members of my family on club grounds. That in itself is grounds for destruction.”
“What else has he done?” Ajilon asked.
“Like I said, he’s mostly been a nuisance.” I didn’t elaborate. They didn’t need to know how much Cash had pulled off. “However, two nights ago, he tried to rob my club. One of his men was killed by an employee of mine, and Beckstrom retaliated by blowing up the man’s car.”
“That’s all well and good, but why ask us for help? Seems like it’s your problem, not ours, and you have more than enough family to take him out.” Two-Bit was the leader of the 48th Street Vipers and a valuable source of intel on the other families. Skinny, white, and generally unassuming, he flew under the radar.
So how the hell did he know anything about my mother’s side of the family?
Chapter Seventeen
Mari
When she was alive, my mother was a cartel princess.
As the only daughter of the Colombian cartel leader, she’d spent her life preparing to be a gangster’s wife, just like I had. She’d even had a groom ready and waiting for her to come of age. Until she’d run off with my father at sixteen. Enraged, my grandfather had disowned both her and the children in her belly before the ink dried on the marriage certificate.
But Mario Marcosa wasn’t stupid. He knew his father-in-law wouldn’t care if his enemies came after us, especially after my mother died. He paid a lot of money to bury the connection so deep, even Greyson couldn’t find it without some serious help.
Almost no one knew I had ties to the Colombian cartel. Frayed, nearly severed ones, but ties, nonetheless. So how the hell did Two-Bit find out, and what did he want to keep that information quiet?
We glared at each other while I weighed just how badly I wanted my secrets to remain unknown and what it would cost me. The cartel wasn’t something to play with, and considering how much my grandfather had hated my father, it wasn’t an option.
“The only family I’ve got worth mentioning are the ones you already know.”
A glance at the rest of the table showed calculating looks being thrown at Two-Bit and me. People digging into my family history was the last thing I needed, so I pushed my confusion aside and refocused on the task at hand.
“Beckstrom is getting bold and messing with product distribution in the city. He’s tagging safe spaces and causing mayhem for not only the underground, but those above it as well. He places little to no value on the lives of those around him, not caring if he causes mass casualties. He’s dangerous and drawing attention.”
Dominic opened his briefcase and tossed a stack of files into the middle of the table. “The FBI is looking at Seattle hard. Interpol and other agencies too. Hell, even the DEA has a squad heading our way. They’ve all said they’re bringing heat because of the destruction the Aces are leaving behind.”
All thoughts of my family were wiped off the map when they opened the folders. It was one thing to think your leader had friends in high places; it was another to see government seals and memos from deeply respected senators in a meeting with criminals.
